Young California punks
the Linda Lindas
level up on their thrilling sophomore set
No Obligation
. Following two years after their joyous debut, their second album highlights the artistic growth and sonic control that they developed between LPs, even as they balanced school and home life under increased scrutiny as one of the buzziest groups to emerge in the early 2020s. Released as their stadium tour with
Green Day
,
Smashing Pumpkins
, and
Rancid
wrapped up,
builds upon the songcraft of their first LP, cramming various genres -- punk, garage rock, power pop, new wave, and Rock en Español -- into a blender in a way that makes perfect sense given the four member's different personalities. The quartet --
Bela Salazar
Eloise Wong
Lucia
and
Mila de la Garza
-- excels at it all, whether it's a feral
Eloise
growling her way through the raucous title track,
elevating the indie rock singalong "All in My Head,"
Bela
singing in Spanish on "Yo Me Estreso" (with
Weird Al
on the accordion, no less), or
Mila
joining for the urgent group chants and harmonies. The invigorated
is a breath of fresh air, a reminder that punk can be fun and pure without losing its impact or message.
The Linda Lindas
give us all hope that the kids will be alright. ~ Neil Z. Yeung